Ebola risk

Players who play their club football in the Bundesliga and are competing in this weekend's African Cup of Nations qualifiers will face stringent tests as Germany faces up to the potential risks from the Ebola epidemic.

The outbreak of the virus has taken the lives of more than 5,000 people in affected areas in coastal West Africa with the hardest hit countries being Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. The widespread chaos and restriction of movement has even filtered into football. All of the above nations have been banned from hosting international matches.

Last week, Morocco was stripped of hosting the 2015 African Cup of Nations. Morocco's Football Federation had long insisted that the tournament be postponed until 2016.

The problem of finding an alternative has since been resolved by Africa's governing body, CAF. Tiny Equatorial Guinea with a population of over 600,000 and sandwiched between Cameroon and Gabon will host the tournament in January, despite only having two main stadiums.

Seeking support from organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Moroccans had maintained an indecisive stance after expressing concerns about the health and well-being of supporters travelling from affected regions.

"Only those in the Ebola-affected regions were a concern," CAF's secretary-general told the BBC. Morocco will still go ahead and host the FIFA Club World Cup in the same month next year.

Plans in place

In one instance, Borussia Dortmund prevented striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang travelling to represent Gabon who took a step towards the next stage of qualifying with a 0-0 draw in Angola.

While Aubameyang confirmed that he had been notified too late to feature in Gabon's first of two matches this week, Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc expressed concern over his player competing in Africa.

"Without becoming paranoid, warnings have been issued by the medical staff. We have a duty of care to the players and the team," he told German newspaper BILD.

Green light for six players

But six other German-based players were given the green light from their respective clubs to compete in action over the weekend.

Guinea national team skipper Ibrahima Traore helped his team to a 4-1 win in Togo and will next head for Morocco to round-up this section of African Cup of Nations qualifying.

Traore's club team Borussia Mönchengladbach had recommended that their players didn't travel to Africa, but team doctor Heribert Ditzel said the risk from infection was currently very low.

"There is an investigation phase, before we leave him with the team," he told "Der Spiegel", explaining the protocol in place at the club and that Traore will undergo examinations every day for three weeks.

"We talked about the procedures extensively and the contacts during his African travel."

"Should the slightest bit of ill-health occur, he stays at home and will be investigated further before he can return to the team."

Werder Bremen's Cedric Makiadi will take on one of the affected countries who are unable to play matches in home territory, Sierra Leone. Bremen's Director for Sport Robin Schröder was satisfied that the "relevant precautions had been taken" for the 26-year-old's trip to Cameroon where his side will take on Sierra Leone in African Cup qualification.

Salomon Kalou of Hertha Berlin scored twice as Ivory Coast defeated Sierra Leone at home, while Salif Sane (Senegal and Hannover), Abdul Rahman Baba (Ghana and Augsburg) and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Cameroon and Schalke) have also been in action over the weekend.